So you are one of the people who zig zag walk while typing on phone. I was walking behind someone at work who was almost bouncing from wall to wall as she was walking down the hall. I thought she was drunk until she turned around and I saw her using her phone.
You may type fine, but you may not be walking fine.
LOL!
...the iPhone tarantella vs the allemande left with your iPad
P.S. Take care... the owner of the company recently Segway'd himself into oblivion
I don't know why you'd expect a price hike on the iPod touch though. Apple traditionally ups capacity and keeps the price ranges the same, and they didn't even up the capacity this year (mostly like because flash prices didn't drop).
My suspicion is basically two fold.
A) Apple's increased need seems to still outpacing the ability to produce NAND. They aren't going to use double the space to add it so they will wait for 25nm, but will it be ready in those capacities for those bulk orders at the price as today? I'm not so sure.
This one is about longterm marketing and breaks down even more:
This is a big jump in capacity for the same price point in a market that they own without even Android-based or WP7-based PMPs trying to compete with the Touch.
This is a big jump in capacity for the same price point when another such jump won't be coming around for many years. It might behoove Apple to bump the price with the 128GB capacity and then lower the price the next year or two.
128GB would be the sweet spot for me. My music collection is around 90GB and I'd love to be able to carry it all around with me.
Would prefer to keep the current 9.7" screen though. Bigger is better for games and video.
They'll probably offer both sizes. One of the biggest complaints by some in initial response to the ipad was weight. Many people said it was a device without a purpose, while people with e-readers already had a purpose in mind. The 7 inch screen means the device will be lighter and easier to carry, (think commuters on a metro, especially ones with purses) and be a great alternative to e-ink?color, resolution that rivals e-ink as far as crisp text?plus the existing ipad features and enough storage to load all your music and quite a few videos, plus more books than you can read in a life time?including text books for students, but in the size of a large paperback so you don't have to worry about tennis elbow if you like to read in bed (and you won't even need a reading light). It still wouldn't have the outdoor visibility and battery life of an e-ink reader, but it would have so much more that it could lure many people away from Kindle and Nook, that previously weren't quite convinced the larger size and weight of the current ipad are a good fit for avid readers who can't live without a book near them, or on their person at all times.
Some of us who are deaf and/or have mobility disability could not use iPhone could perfectly use a larger iPad2 with 3G or 4G connection, either 7" or 9.7" using Tango.app or facetime with a camera to chat or using a video relay service app to call in ASL (American Sign Language). If the rumor is true, I would buy it on day 1. I hope someone develops a videophone software. Also, a iPad2 with a cell/smartphone compatibility will be great for others with mobility disabilities as well.
Their competitors coming out 7? tablets with USB ports seem to be the basis for this rumour. They?ve have to have a new UI for it and an SDK for making apps that work ideally for this new size. It seems way to early to introduce a new wrench at this point.
As great as it would be I think a Retina Display on the iPad is a long way off. Even if we consider the minimum socially accepted usage of 20/20 vision at 10? away from your eyes we?re still talking a 286ppi display, which is well under the 326ppi on the iPhone 4 and G4 iPod Touch.
Even if Apple doubles the pixels like they did between the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, moving from 1024x768 to 2048x1536 that is still only 264ppi, which is damn close but still shy of what I?d call the "minimum Retina Display demarcation point?, even though most people wouldn?t be able to see the pixels at that point as most don?t have 20/20 vision.
However, those specs were based on 10-12? away, but Apple could argue that one tends to hold a tablet farther away thus making the 20/20 at 16? away a viable candidate for a Retina Display stamp? with an asterisk and footnote.
Note: if this rumour is real and Apple does make a 7? iPad using the same 4:3 aspect ratio the PPI will be 183. That is still pretty good for that size device
You?re right in that Apple has used on-board NAND instead of a separate 1.8? or 2.5? SSD, but you could have addressed his comment about 128GB of NAND storage likely being cost prohibitive. Plus, the 10? iPad would likely get it at or before any 7? iPad.
It's been too many years to remember, but back in the dark ages (before personal computers) I worked in the emerging semiconductor industry. Manufacturing costs were a big item. But testing was also a big part of the costs.
I mention this because if the testing/rejects philosophy is still the same, Apple could:
1) Manufacture say, 1 GB RAM, Dual Core 1.5GHz Cortex A9 based A4 chips for the more expensive iPads and iPhones
2) Test to meet these specs for the more expensive products
3) Retest the rejects at, say at 512 MB RAM, 1GHz Single Core for less expensive products
Basically, a large percentage of the reject high-end A4 chips, could be used in lower-end products (iPod Touch, AppleTV, etc.).
This could reduce costs, increase availability of short-suppply components, and increase yield of critical production facilities.
.
Apple has patent filed memory caching designs specifically for 4 core ARM chips so I'd love to see them leverage the entire capabilities of the Cortex A9 with 4 cores on a new A5 or whatever they call it.
Why sell the original? It would be like selling an original Model T car by Ford.
Even though I find mine to be basically a POS in terms of utility lately, I intend to put it back in it's box and keep it for posterity. Someday I will get the same charge I get out of it that I do when I turn on my Commodore 64 monitor.
Haha this is true! Will to check out the $$$ supply when the new one is announced. Would be nice to keep it though agreed.
There is another company from southeast asia coming out with a tablet thats 6.6 inches and has a 302ppi display . I hope this is not being confused with that. The leaked back of an ipad does not match the 7inch rumor here.
Monkeys will fly out of my butt next week and 2 million will be sold. I mean we like a good rumor but some people just make stuff up in the hope they are right. Even if this new one exists how do you even start to quantify sells for next year??
Make the next iPad 8.7", give it the same resolution as the 9.7" iPad, which it would replace. Give it 2 cameras, front and back. Give it a shit load of RAM, at least 512MB. It will be smaller and lighter, but more powerful and big enough to be still considered way bigger than an iPhone.
A 8.7" retina display would kill performance and battery life.
I do not know if it will happen or not, but it doesn't take much effort to downsize screen resolution as opposed to upsizing it. For instance, developers designing for the Mac have to develop for a variety of screen sizes. It takes very little effort. Apple likely would have apps that work on the larger version work on the smaller version with no effort. Further, developers would have to put additional work in if they wanted to take advantage of the retina display.
I personally don't see the benefit of the smaller version. I, however, would like to see a USB port and retina display.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guitarer1c2
There is no chance of this happening.
So Apple sends developers down a path of creating apps for a 9.7" form factor only to discontinue that screen size in favor of something smaller in less than a year?
I found an almost perfect solution for carrying my iPad -- It consists of:
-- a camo holster
-- an adjustable/flexible shoulder strap
ordered from separate sources.
The holster fits the naked iPad just fine. But I have Apple's iPad case and I want to keep it on the iPad, for protection and convenience (easel positions). I can cram it into the holster and drag it out with the case on... If the case were slightly wider (1/8 - 1/4 inch) or would stretch a little it would be perfect.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Hmm... I'd like to see the final kitbashed product!
- Have you done the math to figure out what resolution that would be? BTW, what are you defining as Retina Display? 326ppi as the iPhone 4, the minimal ppi for one with 20/20 vision when it?s 10? away, or quadrupling the pixel count like Apple did to the 3GS over the iPhone 4? I don?t think you?ve thought this through.
- Yeah, that makes sense because the iPad?s UI is so slow and Apple has always been one to jump to the fastest chip in consumer products without caring about battery life¡
- That could happen, but that isn?t saying much as they typically up the SoC GPU every revision or two as the HW improves.
- Based on your previous predictions that isn?t possible at the same size and weight.
- More RAM seems likely, after all the iPhone 4 has 512MB and needs less for the GPU to push pixels to the display, and that?s before we consider the apps that can run on a larger UI.
- They could up the capacity as there is room, but it?s probably cost prohibitive, especially at 256GB. Note that a 2.5? SSD is an additional $650 upgrade for the current MBPs
- They don?t have USB 3.0 for even the latest Mac Pros that came out and have never used MicroUSB on any iDevice but you think Apple is going to put it on an iPad? Okay, you are having a laugh.
- Or maybe not, because a front facing camera for FaceTime seems possible.
- First of all 21.1Mbps is still 3GPP?s HSDPA Category 14. HSPA+ protocol, Category 15, starts at 23.4Mbps, but the current iPhone 4 ? Apple?s flagship device ? still only has HSDPA Category 8 at 7.2Mbps. There are still a lot of categories to go before that is needed. And what power levels, costs and sizes are these HSPA+ chips you think are coming?
The mere existence of nascent publishing apps meant for the current iPad (expressly or not) -- Wired, Popular Science, Time, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, ComiXology, Conde Nast magazines, etc. -- is exactly the reason why the existing form factor is not going away.
Jeez, everyone, get a grip. Publishers of larger format books and magazines will NEVER exclusively embrace a smaller form factor. Why do you think Apple made the rounds of the publishing industry years before the iPad's introduction? To gauge size desirability, among a myriad of things. Give up precious real estate for a degraded reading experience? Please.
A 7" iPad strikes directly at the Kindle and the like, pure and simple. That'll be its reason for existence. People may or may not be more willing to carry around a 7" iPad, but apps that shine on the 9.7" iPad will not appear as desirable, RetinaDisplay or no RetinaDisplay. Apple will undoubtedly do what it does in a successful line - tier the product offerings. That means, eventually, an even larger iPad than 9.7" That's right, larger. And there will a market for it. Believe it.
Do you really think Apple would abandon a tablet size they pioneered, and allow competitors to take over that piece of the market? (And you better believe they're coming, especially in a green-tinged flavor.)
Who the heck is Brian White anyway? One trip to Taiwan doesn't mean a damn thing.
The mere existence of nascent publishing apps meant for the current iPad (expressly or not) -- Wired, Popular Science, Time, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, ComiXology, Conde Nast magazines, etc. -- is exactly the reason why the existing form factor is not going away.
Who said it was going away? More so there is more to iPad than magazines. A 7 inch class iPad would be successful even if magazines never came to the device.
Quote:
Jeez, everyone, get a grip. Publishers of larger format books and magazines will NEVER exclusively embrace a smaller form factor.
Excusively - of course not. But they will have to enbrace future devices with different resolutions and possibly screen size.
Quote:
Why do you think Apple made the rounds of the publishing industry years before the iPad's introduction? To gauge size desirability, among a myriad of things. Give up precious real estate for a degraded reading experience? Please.
You seem to be implying that I devices are simply all about publishing of magazines. That is an obvious mistake. Besides like iPhone and iPad tailored apps are just as possible on a 7" class device. In fact for some of the apps I imagine the primary place to run the apps would be on a 7" class device.
I probably wouldn't read many magazines on such a sized device but then again I don't do that on my iPhone. Just as different types of sailing requires different types of boats so do users of iOS device require different sized Pads.
Quote:
A 7" iPad strikes directly at the Kindle and the like, pure and simple. That'll be its reason for existence.
Actually no! Such an iPad would allow for far greater professional use. The important feature here is again apps, something Kindle doesn't have.
Such an iPad would make a good book reader but it is not a replacement nor even a direct competitor to the Kindle.
Quote:
People may or may not be more willing to carry around a 7" iPad, but apps that shine on the 9.7" iPad will not appear as desirable,
And who really gives a flying frack about that???? Seriosly you guys dredge up some of the worst arguements going. I have plenty of iPhone apps that are more or less useless on an iPad, that does not imply that one is better than the other.
Quote:
RetinaDisplay or no RetinaDisplay. Apple will undoubtedly do what it does in a successful line - tier the product offerings. That means, eventually, an even larger iPad than 9.7" That's right, larger. And there will a market for it. Believe it.
I can't dismiss that but the demand isn't there like we see for a 7" class device. The fact remains iPad is pretty big for professional use. That is in a lab coat pocket or carried about like a Day Timer from the last century.
Quote:
Do you really think Apple would abandon a tablet size they pioneered, and allow competitors to take over that piece of the market? (And you better believe they're coming, especially in a green-tinged flavor.)
Of course not but why should Apple give up the smaller device market? That is what makes listening to your position so difficult. You see the Tablet market as a one product size market, but that is seldom sustainable simple because of differing needs. Just go to a good hardware store and look at the hammers to be had.
Quote:
Who the heck is Brian White anyway? One trip to Taiwan doesn't mean a damn thing.
You don't need to take a trip to realize that Apple will eventually offer iPad in different sizes. They will do so for the same resons iMacs and laptops come in different sizes. To keep custoners happy.
Some of us who are deaf and/or have mobility disability could not use iPhone could perfectly use a larger iPad2 with 3G or 4G connection, either 7" or 9.7" ...
yes. having a touch surface at least 7" along the diagonal would be great news with those with some form of mobility disability or reduced dexterity (due to age).
Comments
So you are one of the people who zig zag walk while typing on phone. I was walking behind someone at work who was almost bouncing from wall to wall as she was walking down the hall. I thought she was drunk until she turned around and I saw her using her phone.
You may type fine, but you may not be walking fine.
LOL!
...the iPhone tarantella vs the allemande left with your iPad
P.S. Take care... the owner of the company recently Segway'd himself into oblivion
.
I don't know why you'd expect a price hike on the iPod touch though. Apple traditionally ups capacity and keeps the price ranges the same, and they didn't even up the capacity this year (mostly like because flash prices didn't drop).
My suspicion is basically two fold.
A) Apple's increased need seems to still outpacing the ability to produce NAND. They aren't going to use double the space to add it so they will wait for 25nm, but will it be ready in those capacities for those bulk orders at the price as today? I'm not so sure.
128GB would be the sweet spot for me. My music collection is around 90GB and I'd love to be able to carry it all around with me.
Would prefer to keep the current 9.7" screen though. Bigger is better for games and video.
They'll probably offer both sizes. One of the biggest complaints by some in initial response to the ipad was weight. Many people said it was a device without a purpose, while people with e-readers already had a purpose in mind. The 7 inch screen means the device will be lighter and easier to carry, (think commuters on a metro, especially ones with purses) and be a great alternative to e-ink?color, resolution that rivals e-ink as far as crisp text?plus the existing ipad features and enough storage to load all your music and quite a few videos, plus more books than you can read in a life time?including text books for students, but in the size of a large paperback so you don't have to worry about tennis elbow if you like to read in bed (and you won't even need a reading light). It still wouldn't have the outdoor visibility and battery life of an e-ink reader, but it would have so much more that it could lure many people away from Kindle and Nook, that previously weren't quite convinced the larger size and weight of the current ipad are a good fit for avid readers who can't live without a book near them, or on their person at all times.
Welcome to the forum, guitarer1c2 and JackFuchs.
Their competitors coming out 7? tablets with USB ports seem to be the basis for this rumour. They?ve have to have a new UI for it and an SDK for making apps that work ideally for this new size. It seems way to early to introduce a new wrench at this point.
As great as it would be I think a Retina Display on the iPad is a long way off. Even if we consider the minimum socially accepted usage of 20/20 vision at 10? away from your eyes we?re still talking a 286ppi display, which is well under the 326ppi on the iPhone 4 and G4 iPod Touch.
Even if Apple doubles the pixels like they did between the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, moving from 1024x768 to 2048x1536 that is still only 264ppi, which is damn close but still shy of what I?d call the "minimum Retina Display demarcation point?, even though most people wouldn?t be able to see the pixels at that point as most don?t have 20/20 vision.
However, those specs were based on 10-12? away, but Apple could argue that one tends to hold a tablet farther away thus making the 20/20 at 16? away a viable candidate for a Retina Display stamp? with an asterisk and footnote.
Note: if this rumour is real and Apple does make a 7? iPad using the same 4:3 aspect ratio the PPI will be 183. That is still pretty good for that size device
You?re right in that Apple has used on-board NAND instead of a separate 1.8? or 2.5? SSD, but you could have addressed his comment about 128GB of NAND storage likely being cost prohibitive. Plus, the 10? iPad would likely get it at or before any 7? iPad.
http://www.physorg.com/news195986913.html
It's been too many years to remember, but back in the dark ages (before personal computers) I worked in the emerging semiconductor industry. Manufacturing costs were a big item. But testing was also a big part of the costs.
I mention this because if the testing/rejects philosophy is still the same, Apple could:
1) Manufacture say, 1 GB RAM, Dual Core 1.5GHz Cortex A9 based A4 chips for the more expensive iPads and iPhones
2) Test to meet these specs for the more expensive products
3) Retest the rejects at, say at 512 MB RAM, 1GHz Single Core for less expensive products
Basically, a large percentage of the reject high-end A4 chips, could be used in lower-end products (iPod Touch, AppleTV, etc.).
This could reduce costs, increase availability of short-suppply components, and increase yield of critical production facilities.
.
Apple has patent filed memory caching designs specifically for 4 core ARM chips so I'd love to see them leverage the entire capabilities of the Cortex A9 with 4 cores on a new A5 or whatever they call it.
Why sell the original? It would be like selling an original Model T car by Ford.
Even though I find mine to be basically a POS in terms of utility lately, I intend to put it back in it's box and keep it for posterity. Someday I will get the same charge I get out of it that I do when I turn on my Commodore 64 monitor.
Haha this is true! Will to check out the $$$ supply when the new one is announced. Would be nice to keep it though agreed.
64GB isn't enough to store my music collection let alone any videos.
Music (Apple lossless : average bit rate = 1024) : 280 GB
Music (converted to 256 AAC) : 70 GB
You're the fringe customer.
A 8.7" retina display would kill performance and battery life.
I personally don't see the benefit of the smaller version. I, however, would like to see a USB port and retina display.
There is no chance of this happening.
So Apple sends developers down a path of creating apps for a 9.7" form factor only to discontinue that screen size in favor of something smaller in less than a year?
Right.
I would, however, love a 9.7" Retina display.
Ha!
I found an almost perfect solution for carrying my iPad -- It consists of:
-- a camo holster
-- an adjustable/flexible shoulder strap
ordered from separate sources.
The holster fits the naked iPad just fine. But I have Apple's iPad case and I want to keep it on the iPad, for protection and convenience (easel positions). I can cram it into the holster and drag it out with the case on... If the case were slightly wider (1/8 - 1/4 inch) or would stretch a little it would be perfect.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
Hmm... I'd like to see the final kitbashed product!
- ETA December 2010
- Display size to remain the same.
- Retina display.
- 1.5 GHz Cortex-A15 dual core processor.
- Improved graphics.
- Improved battery life.
- Double RAM.
- 128 GB and 256 GB storage options.
- MicroUSB 3.0.
- Front camera with FaceTime support.
- HSPA+ (3.5G) support up to 21 Mbps.
My own iPad prediction:
- ETA December 2010
- Display size to remain the same.
- Retina display.
- 1.5 GHz Cortex-A15 dual core processor.
- Improved graphics.
- Improved battery life.
- Double RAM.
- 128 GB and 256 GB storage options.
- MicroUSB 3.0.
- Front camera with FaceTime support.
- HSPA+ (3.5G) support up to 21 Mbps.
- December release? Okay you?re joking right?
- Maybe not, this sounds reasonable.
- Have you done the math to figure out what resolution that would be? BTW, what are you defining as Retina Display? 326ppi as the iPhone 4, the minimal ppi for one with 20/20 vision when it?s 10? away, or quadrupling the pixel count like Apple did to the 3GS over the iPhone 4? I don?t think you?ve thought this through.
- Yeah, that makes sense because the iPad?s UI is so slow and Apple has always been one to jump to the fastest chip in consumer products without caring about battery life¡
- That could happen, but that isn?t saying much as they typically up the SoC GPU every revision or two as the HW improves.
- Based on your previous predictions that isn?t possible at the same size and weight.
- More RAM seems likely, after all the iPhone 4 has 512MB and needs less for the GPU to push pixels to the display, and that?s before we consider the apps that can run on a larger UI.
- They could up the capacity as there is room, but it?s probably cost prohibitive, especially at 256GB. Note that a 2.5? SSD is an additional $650 upgrade for the current MBPs
- They don?t have USB 3.0 for even the latest Mac Pros that came out and have never used MicroUSB on any iDevice but you think Apple is going to put it on an iPad? Okay, you are having a laugh.
- Or maybe not, because a front facing camera for FaceTime seems possible.
- First of all 21.1Mbps is still 3GPP?s HSDPA Category 14. HSPA+ protocol, Category 15, starts at 23.4Mbps, but the current iPhone 4 ? Apple?s flagship device ? still only has HSDPA Category 8 at 7.2Mbps. There are still a lot of categories to go before that is needed. And what power levels, costs and sizes are these HSPA+ chips you think are coming?
1200×900 7.5 inch (19 cm) diagonal LCD (200 dpi) that uses 0.1 to 1.0 W depending on mode. The two modes are:
Reflective (backlight off) monochrome mode for low-power use in sunlight. This mode provides very sharp images for high-quality text.
Backlit color mode, with an alternance of red,green and blue pixels.
A high-dpi color screen and the next best thing to e-ink, all in one.
Jeez, everyone, get a grip. Publishers of larger format books and magazines will NEVER exclusively embrace a smaller form factor. Why do you think Apple made the rounds of the publishing industry years before the iPad's introduction? To gauge size desirability, among a myriad of things. Give up precious real estate for a degraded reading experience? Please.
A 7" iPad strikes directly at the Kindle and the like, pure and simple. That'll be its reason for existence. People may or may not be more willing to carry around a 7" iPad, but apps that shine on the 9.7" iPad will not appear as desirable, RetinaDisplay or no RetinaDisplay. Apple will undoubtedly do what it does in a successful line - tier the product offerings. That means, eventually, an even larger iPad than 9.7" That's right, larger. And there will a market for it. Believe it.
Do you really think Apple would abandon a tablet size they pioneered, and allow competitors to take over that piece of the market? (And you better believe they're coming, especially in a green-tinged flavor.)
Who the heck is Brian White anyway? One trip to Taiwan doesn't mean a damn thing.
I would, however, love a 9.7" Retina display ...
i wouldn't be surprised if LG Display has samples in their lab(s).
The mere existence of nascent publishing apps meant for the current iPad (expressly or not) -- Wired, Popular Science, Time, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, ComiXology, Conde Nast magazines, etc. -- is exactly the reason why the existing form factor is not going away.
Who said it was going away? More so there is more to iPad than magazines. A 7 inch class iPad would be successful even if magazines never came to the device.
Jeez, everyone, get a grip. Publishers of larger format books and magazines will NEVER exclusively embrace a smaller form factor.
Excusively - of course not. But they will have to enbrace future devices with different resolutions and possibly screen size.
Why do you think Apple made the rounds of the publishing industry years before the iPad's introduction? To gauge size desirability, among a myriad of things. Give up precious real estate for a degraded reading experience? Please.
You seem to be implying that I devices are simply all about publishing of magazines. That is an obvious mistake. Besides like iPhone and iPad tailored apps are just as possible on a 7" class device. In fact for some of the apps I imagine the primary place to run the apps would be on a 7" class device.
I probably wouldn't read many magazines on such a sized device but then again I don't do that on my iPhone. Just as different types of sailing requires different types of boats so do users of iOS device require different sized Pads.
A 7" iPad strikes directly at the Kindle and the like, pure and simple. That'll be its reason for existence.
Actually no! Such an iPad would allow for far greater professional use. The important feature here is again apps, something Kindle doesn't have.
Such an iPad would make a good book reader but it is not a replacement nor even a direct competitor to the Kindle.
People may or may not be more willing to carry around a 7" iPad, but apps that shine on the 9.7" iPad will not appear as desirable,
And who really gives a flying frack about that???? Seriosly you guys dredge up some of the worst arguements going. I have plenty of iPhone apps that are more or less useless on an iPad, that does not imply that one is better than the other.
RetinaDisplay or no RetinaDisplay. Apple will undoubtedly do what it does in a successful line - tier the product offerings. That means, eventually, an even larger iPad than 9.7" That's right, larger. And there will a market for it. Believe it.
I can't dismiss that but the demand isn't there like we see for a 7" class device. The fact remains iPad is pretty big for professional use. That is in a lab coat pocket or carried about like a Day Timer from the last century.
Do you really think Apple would abandon a tablet size they pioneered, and allow competitors to take over that piece of the market? (And you better believe they're coming, especially in a green-tinged flavor.)
Of course not but why should Apple give up the smaller device market? That is what makes listening to your position so difficult. You see the Tablet market as a one product size market, but that is seldom sustainable simple because of differing needs. Just go to a good hardware store and look at the hammers to be had.
Who the heck is Brian White anyway? One trip to Taiwan doesn't mean a damn thing.
You don't need to take a trip to realize that Apple will eventually offer iPad in different sizes. They will do so for the same resons iMacs and laptops come in different sizes. To keep custoners happy.
Some of us who are deaf and/or have mobility disability could not use iPhone could perfectly use a larger iPad2 with 3G or 4G connection, either 7" or 9.7" ...
yes. having a touch surface at least 7" along the diagonal would be great news with those with some form of mobility disability or reduced dexterity (due to age).